Thank you for Thinking Babies in 2024
In April, Strolling ThunderTM brought 51 families to Washington, DC to meet with their Representatives in Congress and officials at the White House and at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These families shared their stories with Members of Congress and earned nearly 4.5 million broadcast impressions through 260 earned media stories. As a bonus, a Strolling Thunder mom participated in an event honoring Moms at the White House on Mother’s Day.
This attention supporters brought to the issues impacting babies was reflected in the 2024 presidential campaign, which dominated headlines throughout the second half of the year. Both the Trump-Vance and Harris-Walz campaigns raised important issues such as the Child Tax Credit, child care, and paid family and medical leave making it clear they heard from families who need solutions.
Here are ZERO TO THREE’s top wins in early childhood policy in 2024:
1. Early childhood funding increased.
In a tough year for federal funding, Baby Champions came through with increased funding for key programs to support babies and their families. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) was increased by $1 billion to cover expanded family participation. The Child Care and Development Block Grant received a $746 million increase, and Head Start/Early Head Start received a $270 million increase.
2. Tax credits for families with children established in states and on the docket at the federal level.
Leading the way in the states, Colorado created a refundable tax credit for families with children that prioritizes low-income families with young children. When combined with the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), it has the potential to make Colorado’s child poverty rate the lowest in the country. Illinois lawmakers approved a permanent tax credit of $300-$600 for families who qualify for the EITC and have children under age 12. Montana and Rhode Island implemented increases to their state’s EITC.At the federal level, a tax bill is likely to be among the first efforts undertaken in 2025 and a group of 92 national and 154 state and local organizations sent a letter about the CTC to the Ways and Means Republican tax reform group calling for reinstating a robust, fully refundable CTC at least at the levels in the American Rescue Plan Act, with monthly payments.
3. Minimum wage and paid sick leave increased in the states.
Voters in Missouri and Alaska passed ballot measures to gradually increase the minimum wage. In Missouri, the minimum wage will increase to $15 an hour by January 1, 2026 (from $12.30 currently) and adjust for inflation annually starting in 2027. In Alaska, the increase to $15 an hour will go into effect by July 1, 2027 ( from $11.73). Three states approved measures to adopt paid sick leave: Nebraska, Missouri and Alaska. In Missouri and Alaska, employers will be required to give workers one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, and employees can accrue up to 56 hours of paid sick leave per year at employers with 15 or more employees and up to 40 hours at employers with under 15 employees. In Nebraska, employers with at least 20 employees will provide up to 7 days (56 hours) of earned paid sick leave per year while those with fewer than 20 employees up to 40 hours per year.
4. More young children have continued Medicaid eligibility.
The movement to cover young children from birth continued as four more states (Hawaii, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania) were approved to offer continuous Medicaid coverage for children birth to age 6, bringing the total to seven (Oregon, Washington, New Mexico) . One state (Colorado) is implementing birth to 3 coverage, while multi-year eligibility is in development in three more states (California, Illinois, North Carolina). More parents will be covered as four additional states – Alaska, Nevada, Texas and Utah – adopted 12 months postpartum coverage, bringing the total to 47, with two states in the planning stage. North Carolina became the 40th state to implement Medicaid expansion and advocates came closer to securing this win in places like Mississippi and Kansas than ever before.
5. Head Start/Early Head Start Rule finalized.
The Head Start Program Performance Standards received an important update, with an emphasis on increasing staff compensation and mental health services. The new rule requires establishing wage and salary structures that would increase compensation over time, approaching levels comparable to salaries for public school teachers with comparable credentials. The rule also improves and expands mental health services for children, families, and staff.
6. Bipartisan child welfare legislation passed the House of Representatives.
Legislation (HR 9076, Supporting America’s Children and Families Act) reauthorizing Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, which provides flexible funding for states to use on family support and improving child welfare services, was approved by the House of Representatives with only 10 “don’t” vote. The bill would modestly increase mandatory funding for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program, including a relatively sizeable increase for the Court Improvement Program. The legislation includes mental health providers and professionals in developing plans for coordinated health care services for children in foster care, explicitly including infants and toddlers.
7. The Surgeon General recognized the stress of families.
The Surgeon General’s Parents Under Pressure Advisory highlighted the stressors that impact the mental health and well-being of parents and caregivers. The advisory finds that 33% of parents report high levels of stress, compared to just 20% of other adults. The stressors include, but are not limited to financial strain and poverty, time demands, children’s health and safety, parental isolation and loneliness, technology and social media, and cultural pressures and children’s futures. The advisory calls attention to the importance of parental mental health for child development and its impact on the future of our country.
8. Environmental protections for babies strengthened, helping prevent health and developmental problems for young children.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule requiring drinking water systems nationwide to replace lead service lines within 10 years. The Biden Administration secured $15 billion in funding to help achieve this goal in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for communities around the country. The EPA also finalized a rule that strengthened soot (particulate matter) pollution standards to reduce the impact of soot on the health and physical and neural development of pregnant women, the developing fetus, and young children. Lead is a serious neurotoxin for young children and particulate matter is tied to higher rates of asthma and other health problems, particularly among young children.
9. Prevention services in Native American communities improved.
The US House passed HR 9076 which would increase funding for tribal agencies/courts, reduce administrative burden, and enhance Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) data collection. Federal policy was also modified to better respond to the needs of the Native American population. The child welfare manual was improved to provide flexibility to tribes around prevention services. Medicaid approved four waivers to cover traditional Indigenous health practices.
10. Federal policy guidance prioritized kinship care.
In September 2023, HHS issued a final rule that allows a child welfare agency to adopt simpler licensing or approval standards for all kin foster family homes . The rule also requires that states provide kinship caregivers with the same level of financial assistance that any other foster care provider receives, an important step forward to strengthen the financial security of kinship families. Maryland SB 708 altered the kinship care program to specify a preference for placement with a kinship caregiver, followed by a preference for like-kin, such as those within close proximity to the child’s home, extended family, or siblings, or the child’s culture or language. Colorado SB 8 established a process for kinship homes to apply for certification and be eligible to receive the same assistance as foster care homes. The state also expanded emergency financial assistance for kinship care homes to include goods needed for the child’s basic care, including beds, clothing, and transportation costs, and limited rental or housing assistance.
